Nested Interest

Photograph by Dave Bradley

To Nicole Bergeron, all birds are created equal. “If it’s laid an egg…,” laughs the founder of the Maine-based Etsy shop Pysanky Panky, who creates her ornate Ukrainian Easter eggs using layers of wax and dye in a process similar to batik. A teacher’s assistant by day, the Falmouth native spends 10 to 12 hours decorating each average-size chicken egg, while something bigger, like a goose egg, takes closer to 20 hours. The level of detail in Bergeron’s work is impressive, especially when you take into account that she was born with just one arm. “To me, it’s a really Zen and relaxing hobby,” she says. “I get lost in it and everything else falls away.”

Prices start at $30, etsy.com/shop/pysankypanky.